1PL PCL?

SLL v PCn L8l8L81C u 8CSA8lC

238 SC8A 324
lacLs
1hls ls a peLlLlon for cerLlorarl under 8ule 63 of Lhe 8evlsed 8ules of CourL Lo reverse and seL aslde Lhe Crders daLed
!une 20 1991 and SepLember 19 1991 of Lhe 8eglonal1rlal CourL 8ranch 61MakaLl MeLro Manlla ln Clvll Case n090
183
1he order daLed !une 20 1991 denled Lhe moLlon of Lhe peLlLloner Lo dlsmlss Lhe complalnL ln Clvll Case no 90183
whlle Lhe Crder daLed SepLember19 1991 denled Lhe moLlon for Lhe reconslderaLlon of Lhe !une 201991 Crder
eLlLloner was Lhe Poly see who exerclses soveregnlLy over Lhe vaLlcan ClLy ln 8ome lLaly and ls represenLed by Lhe
apal nunclo
rlvaLe 8espondenL SLarbrlghL Sales LnLerprlses lnc us a domesLlc corporaLlon engaged ln Lhe real LsLaLe buslness
1he peLlLlon was arose over a parcel of land conslsLlng of 6000 square meLers locaLed ln Lhe MunlclpallLy of aranaque
MeLro Manlla and reglsLered ln Lhe name of Lhe eLlLloner(Poly Seeapal nunclo) 1he sald loL LoL 3A ls conLlguous Lo
LoLs 38 and 3u whlch are covered by 1ransfer CerLlflcaLes of 1lLle nos 271108 and 263388 respecLlvely and reglsLered
ln Lhe name of Lhe 8ealLy CorporaLlon (8C)
1he Lhree loLs were sold Lo 8amon Llcup Lhrough uomlngo A Clrllos !r AcLlng agenL Lo Lhe sellers Llcup asslgned hls
rlghLs Lo Lhe sale Lo prlvaLe respondenL SLarbrlghL Sales LnLerprlses
ln vlew lf Lhe refusal of Lhe squaLLers Lo vacaL Lhe loLs sold Lo Lhe prlvaLe respondenL a dlspuLe arose as Lo who of Lhe
parLles has Lhe responslblllLy of evlcLlng and clearlng Lhe land of squaLLers CompllcaLlng Lhe relaLlons of Lhe parLles
was Lhe sale by peLlLloner of LoL 3A Lo 1roplcana roperLles and uevelopmenL CorporaLlon (1roplcana
lssue
1Lhe annulmenL of Leh ueeds of Lhe sale beLween peLlLloner and Lhe 8C on hand Lhe reconveyance of Lhe loLs ln
quesLloned speclflc performance of Lhe agreemenL Lo sell beLween lL and Lhe owners loL and damages
2procedural lssue of wheLher Lhe peLlLlon for cerLlorarl under 8ule 63 of Lhe 8evlsed 8ules of CourL can be avalled of Lo
quesLlon Lhe order denylng peLlLloners moLlon Lo dlsmlss
3deLermlne Lhe lssue of peLlLloners nonsuablllLy
Peld
1hls CourL has consldered Lhe followlng LransacLlons by a forelgn sLaLe wlLh prlvaLe parLles as acLs [ure lmperll
1he operaLlon of Lhe resLauranLs and oLher faclllLles open Lo Lhe general publlc ls undoubLedly for proflL as a commerclal
and noL a governmenLal acLlvlLy 8y enLerlng lnLo Lhe employmenL conLracL wlLh Lhe cook ln Lhe dlscharge of lLs
proprleLary funcLlon Lhe unlLed SLaLes governmenL lmplledly dlvesLed lLself of lLs soverelgn lmmunlLy from sulL
ln Lhe absence of leglslaLlon deflnlng whaL acLlvlLles and LransacLlons shall be consldered commerclal and as
consLlLuLlng acLs [ure gesLlonls we have Lo come ouL wlLh our own guldellnes LenLaLlve Lhey may be
CerLalnly Lhe mere enLerlng lnLo a conLracL by a forelgn sLaLe wlLh a prlvaLe parLy cannoL be Lhe ulLlmaLe LesL Such an
acL can only be Lhe sLarL of Lhe lnqulry 1he loglcal quesLlon ls wheLher Lhe forelgn sLaLe ls engaged ln Lhe acLlvlLy ln Lhe
regular course of buslness lf Lhe forelgn sLaLe ls noL engaged regularly ln a buslness or Lrade Lhe parLlcular acL or
LransacLlon musL Lhen be LesLed by lLs naLure lf Lhe acL ls ln pursulL of a soverelgn acLlvlLy or an lncldenL Lhereof Lhen lL
ls an acL [ure lmperll especlally when lL ls noL underLaken for galn or proflL
LoL 3A was acqulred by peLlLloner as a donaLlon from Lhe Archdlocese of Manlla 1he donaLlon was made noL for
commerclal purpose buL for Lhe use of peLlLloner Lo consLrucL Lhereon Lhe offlclal place of resldence of Lhe apal
nunclo 1he rlghL of a forelgn soverelgn Lo acqulre properLy real or personal ln a recelvlng sLaLe necessary for Lhe
creaLlon and malnLenance of lLs dlplomaLlc mlsslon ls recognlzed ln Lhe 1961 vlenna ConvenLlon on ulplomaLlc
8elaLlons (ArLs 2022) 1hls LreaLy was concurred ln by Lhe hlllpplne SenaLe and enLered lnLo force ln Lhe hlllpplnes on
november 13 1963
LoL 3A was acqulred by peLlLloner as a donaLlon from Lhe Archdlocese of Manlla 1he donaLlon was made noL for
commerclal purpose buL for Lhe use of peLlLloner Lo consLrucL Lhereon Lhe offlclal place of resldence of Lhe apal
nunclo 1he rlghL of a forelgn soverelgn Lo acqulre properLy real or personal ln a recelvlng sLaLe necessary for Lhe
creaLlon and malnLenance of lLs dlplomaLlc mlsslon ls recognlzed ln Lhe 1961 vlenna ConvenLlon on ulplomaLlc
8elaLlons (ArLs 2022) 1hls LreaLy was concurred ln by Lhe hlllpplne SenaLe and enLered lnLo force ln Lhe hlllpplnes on
november 13 1963
dlplomaLlc envoy ls granLed lmmunlLy from Lhe clvll and admlnlsLraLlve [urlsdlcLlon of Lhe recelvlng sLaLe over any real
acLlon relaLlng Lo prlvaLe lmmovable properLy slLuaLed ln Lhe LerrlLory of Lhe recelvlng sLaLe whlch Lhe envoy holds on
behalf of Lhe sendlng sLaLe for Lhe purposes of Lhe mlsslon lf Lhls lmmunlLy ls provlded for a dlplomaLlc envoy wlLh all
Lhe more reason should lmmunlLy be recognlzed as regards Lhe soverelgn lLself whlch ln Lhls case ls Lhe Poly See
1he lssue of peLlLloners nonsuablllLy
Lhe ueparLmenL of lorelgn Affalrs has formally lnLervened ln Lhls case and offlclally cerLlfled LhaL Lhe Lmbassy of Lhe
Poly See ls a duly accredlLed dlplomaLlc mlsslon Lo Lhe 8epubllc of Lhe hlllpplnes exempL from local [urlsdlcLlon and
enLlLled Lo all Lhe rlghLs prlvlleges and lmmunlLles of a dlplomaLlc mlsslon or embassy ln Lhls counLry) Where Lhe plea
of lmmunlLy ls recognlzed and afflrmed by Lhe execuLlve branch lL ls Lhe duLy of Lhe courLs Lo accepL Lhls clalm so as noL
Lo embarrass Lhe execuLlve arm of Lhe governmenL ln conducLlng Lhe counLrys forelgn relaLlons
rlvaLe respondenL ls noL lefL wlLhouL any legal remedy for Lhe redress of lLs grlevancesrlvaLe respondenL can ask Lhe
hlllpplne governmenL Lhrough Lhe lorelgn Cfflce Lo espouse lLs clalms agalnsL Lhe Poly See lLs flrsL Lask ls Lo persuade
Lhe hlllpplne governmenL Lo Lake up wlLh Lhe Poly See Lhe valldlLy of lLs clalms
1he peLlLlon for cerLlorarl ls C8An1Lu and Lhe complalnL ln Clvll Case no 90183 agalnsL peLlLloner ls ulSMlSSLu

Nurvusu, C.J., BIdIn, ReguIudo, DuvIde, Jr., Romero, BeIIosIIIo, MeIo, Puno, VILug, Kupunun und
Mendozu, JJ., concur